I'm reviewing a contract to place four songs in a music production library. This is the result of a Taxi listing. The contract states that 20% of syncronization and mechanical license fees are to be paid to the composer. Everything else is the standard 50/50 split.At first blush this does not seem like a win win situation for me.Is the pay out to the composer generally this low or am I missing something.All input is welcome.Chuck

Composers' sync fee share can range anywhere from 0 to 50% or sometimes (rarely) even a bit more.In most cases when there's an upfront production/sync buyout payment, there will be no sync fee participation.I would usually ask for 50% sync fee share if there is no upfront payment and the song is basically signed on the hope that they'll be able to place it. Unless I felt this company represented an above average opportunity for me, in which case I might agree to something lower. matto

Matt,Thanks for your reply and insight. Much like everything in the music business, there doesn't seem to be one right answer.I was able to discuss the split with my contact at the library and feel better about the situation. The library tends to have fewer cuts that they work on placing rather than 100,000 cuts and I'm lost in the jungle. To work the library they spend money on production of CD's, advertising, attend trade shows etc.Also, I may be developing a relationship with a niche of providing alot of world music tracks that make it to a CD. It has been their experience that if you're on one of their CD's you do get placements.Chuck